FREE Email Newsletter

Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

igus is now offering the RX energy tube, which was developed especially for the machine tool industry. Its construction is nearly 100 percent chip-proof, with a domed outer contour that allows debris — such as metal or wood chips — to simply fall off the tube. Additional features include:
A large interior space for cables and hoses, which can be separated using vertical separators and a horizontal shelf.

The nanodac recorder/controller, built by Ivensys , offers four high-accuracy universal inputs for data recording and PID control, and is enhanced by a full-color, 1/4 VGA (320 x 240 pixel) display. The nanodac can feature data in a number of ways — including bar graphs, trend charts, and numeric values — using its 50MB of flash memory.

The COBRA LIFELINK Single-Man cart from Garlock Safety Systems is a mobile anchorage system that one or two people can tie off to when working on an elevated job site. The system can provide fall arrest for the first worker, and fall restraint for a second simultaneously. Workers can roll the cart where it is needed because no anchorage to the substrate is required.

Kitting carts from the Creform Corporation are custom-designed to minimize inventory space on the production floor by giving workers the exact parts they need while maintaining access and presentation. The carts are designed using the Creform System of plastic-coated steel pipe and metal joints.

Gardner Denver introduces the IQ blower package, which delivers pressure up to 15 psig, vacuum to 16” Hg, and air flows from 200 to 1,400 icfm with a 50-100 horsepower motor. Other features of the IQ blower include:
A quiet design that reduces sound levels by as much as 20 dBA.
An integrated full-voltage starter or optional variable frequency drive (VFD) for efficiency.

Epicor Manufacturing Express Edition is a software suite for job shops and small manufacturers provided through a software-as-a-service (Saas) model. The software is designed to help customers reduce complexity and decrease ongoing operational costs, enabling them to focus on business, not IT. Manufacturers are provided everything they need to manage opportunities, orders, and operations in one integrated solution.

The MovinCool CM25 ceiling-mounted air conditioner has a total cooling capacity of 25,000 Btu/h and a sensible cooling capacity of 18,900 Btu/h. At only 20” high, the CM25 was designed to fit in small spaces with dense heat loads. A built-in mounting bracket, flanges, and vibration isolators allow for low-cost installation.

The SZ Acoustic Curtain Walls from Zoneworks can reduce noise levels inside buildings by up to 22-25 decibels, making a space approximately four times quieter than it would be without them, depending on existing noise frequency levels. The modular walls can be custom-fitted to existing spaces with Velcro connections, eliminating the need to invest in permanent walls.

The TKO CruiserWeight Door with the Wind Load Package is approved for high wind load environments, providing facilities in hurricane-susceptible environments with a safe solution for loading dock doors. According to the company, these doors are built on technology that allowed previous TKO doors to survive the impact of Hurricane Katrina.

Master Appliance Corp. has introduced its Model PH-1500 Proheat LCD Programmable Heat Gun, which features six preset, changeable factory programs and an easy-to-read digital display. Temperature and air flow are keypad-adjustable, with increments of 10° from 130° to 1,000°F, and air flow from 4 to 16 CFM.

The Pocket LED Light Stick (PCLED6) from E-Z Red uses a high-powered, wide-angle LED to cover an area about ten times the size of conventional flashlights, according to the company. A pocket clip is molded into the light for easy access. The rugged construction is made to last, and is also water-resistant.

The Fluke 233 DMM true-rms multimeter features a wireless removable display that can be up to 33 feet away from the measurement point. The 233 gives the user flexibility in hard-to-reach and unusual measurement scenarios, or allows technicians to measure safely in hazardous areas or clean rooms.

The 2015MAX and 2025MAX Hammerhead low-profile Impactools — from Ingersoll Rand — are designed for performance in extremely confined spaces. The Hammerhead delivers the power of an impact, plus all the capabilities of a ratchet, within a head height of less than 2” and max torque of 180 ft-lb.

Pikotek has developed the VCFS — which consists of an E-ring, a compression-limiting back-up ring, and special washers to retain bolt load — to meet the need for a fire-safe isolation kit. The technology has passed the API 6FB Fire test and is the only validated fire-safe isolation kit available in the world, according to the company.

Everyone, regardless of their political inclinations, is clamoring about the death of the middle class, and that can be tied directly to the loss of American manufacturing jobs. Thom Hartmann, radio host and author, joins MSNBC to talk about why all these jobs have disappeared. According to Hartmann, our "laissez faire" trade policy has just served to create a situation where "trade" equates to "outsourcing.

This wall-climbing robot uses a pendulum to generate the energy required to scale walls, and has potential applications along soldiers overseas if it can overcome its one downside: As of now, it can only climb carpeted walls. One probably doesn't see many of those in the likes of Afghanistan.
Visit msnbc.

Richard Little and Robert Irving, co-founders of Rex Bionics, explain the development of electromechanical bionic legs. They are available for people that are able to use an electric wheelchair, and will hopefully be available in the United States next year.
If you're having trouble watching this video, try downloading the latest version of Flash Player or contacting your IT department.

In this homemade safety video, a slingshot enthusiast tests the damage that could be done to one's eye if they aren't careful around projectiles. He tests cheap sunglasses and your typical safety glasses, but the results point to only one conclusion: If someone is pointing a high-powered slingshot in your direction, you might want to reach for the more expensive eye protection.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Texas-based oil companies that are the primary backers of a November ballot effort to suspend California's global warming law are among the state's biggest polluters, according to a report issued Tuesday by two groups advocating for inner-city residents.
Valero Energy Corp.

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Officials say an auto parts company plans to reopen a closed factory in northeastern Indiana while it is shutting down an Ohio plant.
The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne reports that Continental Structural Plastics expects to spend at least $9.1 million on upgrades to the Huntington factory and perhaps have 350 workers there by 2012.